Biobased bridge

The 14-meter-long bridge over the river Dommel is the result of a partnership between a large number of knowledge institutions and companies. The bridge will remain in place for a period of one year. With this bridge we want to demonstrate the potential of biocomposite as a sustainable alternative to existing environmentally harmful construction materials in order to reduce the dependence on finite fossil resources.

Avanslector Biobased Bouwen Willem Böttger: “In addition to the fact that the bridge is a major milestone in the environmental field, one of the most important aspects is that so many different parties work together here. At 2 universities, 3 colleges, 3 ROCs, more than 15 companies, 2 municipalities, the province and more than a hundred students, the importance of building bio circular is sown. On to the harvest phase!

Experiment

Hemp and flax fibers form the basis for the bridge material. By sticking the fibers around a core of organic PLA foam (polylactic acid), the builders succeeded in developing the biocomposite. And by sucking a bio-resin into the fiber packages with a vacuum, a very strong bridge beam was created after curing. The intention is to measure the deflection of the bridge during the experiment using 28 sensors.

Cooperation

The bridge is the result of the 4TU Lighthouse research project B3: Fully Bio-Based composite pedestrian Bridge. Partners in this were TU / e (department of Innovative Structural Design), TU Delft, composite company NPSP, the Center of Expertise Biobased Economy, a collaboration between Avans Hogeschool and HZ University of Applied Sciences and SPARK in Rosmalen. The project is co-financed by Stichting Innovatie Alliantie (SIA).